DOCTOR Rey Aquino of the City of San Fernando is back!

Yes, this time as an author of his own bio-book “My Story To Tell”. The 290-page book narrates the life and times of Jesus Reynaldo Bondoc Aquino – his childhood, his family and parents, his own family, his doctoral life, and, of course his political life.

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I have not really completed reading even one of the 16 chapters of the book since being given a signed copy last Thursday, but browsing through the neatly layed-out book tells me that this literary piece is a good reading. Inspiring, soul-stirring and motivating at that.

Co-written by the daughter of former Mayor Baby Sanchez -- Dr. Tec Sanchez-Tolosa -- the book is in English although some parts and lines are in the vernacular for emphasis and clarity – one good and unique idea for Capampangans (readers and writers especially).

Thursday’s book launching coincided with the 55th birthday celebration of Doc Rey, now the top honcho at Philhealth where he is doing splendidly well with his new bright ideas to improve the agency’s services.

The launching was one good event with Cong. Dong Gonzales (another birthday boy too last week) as one of the main “reflections” speakers, along with PR gurus Jun Sula and Dante Velasco. What I find to be the highlight of the night was the participation of Doc Rey’s own pretty daughters, wonderful wife Edna and good-looking and only son Redmond. 

They read and spoke of some excerpts from the book that gave audience an idea of what the book contained – albeit the interesting parts.

Serving as sidelight probably was the hope (expressed by some of those in the crowd) that the occasion would somehow have a political color. After the program, one former mayor quipped of how people were somehow expecting a form of announcement, as other politicos would turn their personal and family events into a political rally.

But those who were hoping for such just remained hopeful after the book launch as Doc Rey did not mince a word or two about any political plans. Too early for that I would say, unless his arch nemesis Mayor Oscar Rodriguez had already decided to seek the governorship.

With that scenario, political pundits have it that Doc Rey would surely make a comeback bid as mayor, a seat that alternately belong to him and Mayor Rodriguez at this dispensation.

But that is another story to tell for him.

*****

Tierra Santa. Some owners of mausoleums at Tierra Santa in Mabiga, Mabalacat complained about the P300.00 one-time fee for power (and water?) collected from them by the memorial park administrators. 

They said that power was out for more than an hour on the night they needed it last November 1 for still unknown reasons. I don’t recall having power outages in Mabalacat that night so that leaves us all guessing that there may have been overloaded circuitry, thus, the need for stable and reliable transformers inside the cemetery. In previous years, people also complained that fluorescent-based lights would not light up if they were switched on too late in the day as power supply was not sufficient to energize these kind of lights.

Some mausoleum owners also complained about insufficient water supply in their highly-priced piece of real estate inside the memorial park. Will Tierra Santa administrators and owners please work on this?

*****

Justice for Pau. Reportedly, there’s a new chief of police in Mabalacat. A certain Supt. Gregorio Lim, a PMA-yer, purportedly replaced Supt. Elvis Diaz.

Col. Lim should have his hands full with the still unresolved, one-month old murder case of 16-year old Paulene Nicole Castro. Pau was knifed 14 times to her death on the night she was celebrating her birthday. What could be more gruesome than that? And what could be more painful to Pau’s family and friends than an unsolved case?

I am no believer of ghosts but I have heard another story of her “visits” or “appearances” just this All Saints’ Day. Few days after her death, she reportedly appeared to some of her friends, appealing for help, for justice.

There’s no let-up in the effort to bring the killer(s) to justice on the part of Mayor Marino Morales as he had recently offered a P100,000 reward for any useful, credible information that would lead to arrests of murderer(s).

Col. Lim, Pau cries for help, the family appeals for justice.